Rantor, founding member of the International League of Luddites, headquartered in South Austin, Texas 78704, celebrates National Indignation Week every day of the year.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Shopping bags of yesteryear

We're saving our paper sacks until we see how the new city ordinance works out. Paper sacks are preferable, anyhow, for most types of reuse. We're not hopeful on that count; H-E-B is handing out free plastic sacks that are said to be the ones that people will be buying for 75 cents each, come the new dispensation on March 1. They are like square plastic envelopes but with two handles; they have no gores or any bottom on which to set them. Anyhow, among the items unearthed and used as trash receptacles are large sacks from the Fitting Stool (four locations once, we recall), Shoe Boxes, The Toggery (four locations also, we remember; the slogan was "distinctive stores for men"), and the fabulous Slax (also recalled to have four locations, including one at Twin Oaks Center on South Congress). Slax was the go-to place for many items, among them manly jumpsuits for weekend yard work and also guayabera shirts. It was always a pleasure to talk with Mr. Samuelson. These are just some of the memories found in a sack of sacks.